Apple readies first touchscreen MacBook Pros

Apple is preparing to unveil its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models during a closed “Pro and tell” media gathering in Los Angeles on October 28, 2026 at 1 p.m. ET. The launch will introduce MacBook Pro laptops that combine OLED displays with direct touch input, representing a major shift after more than a decade of executive resistance to touchscreens on Mac notebooks.

The new touch-enabled MacBook Pro is slated to arrive in both 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. These devices will form the centerpiece of the event, which will host an exclusive group of creatives and journalists for an in-person product briefing rather than a traditional public keynote.

The upcoming MacBook Pro models will be powered by Apple’s M5 Pro and M5 Max silicon. The laptops rely on the M5 architecture after Apple accelerated development of its M7 chips and skipped an M6 series for high-end professional processors. They are expected to be offered in 14-inch and 16-inch versions with M5 Pro or M5 Max chips.

Display technology is a key focus, with the machines featuring rigid OLED panels that use oxide TFT backplanes and tandem OLED structures similar to those in the iPad Pro. The touchscreens are also expected to support gesture controls in native apps and a magnification effect when users touch the display, while retaining the traditional desktop interface rather than turning macOS into an iPad-like system.

To support touch input, the new MacBook Pros will include a re-engineered hinge designed to prevent the screen from rocking when tapped. The hinge aims to adjust friction depending on orientation so that the display remains stable under finger interaction. This structural change addresses one of the main mechanical challenges of adding touch to clamshell laptops.

The laptops are also expected to be thinner and lighter than prior MacBook Pro generations. The combination of reinforced hinges, rigid OLED panels and touch support reflects Apple’s effort to adapt the MacBook Pro’s familiar form factor to direct on-screen interaction.

Apple is positioning the new touch-enabled MacBook Pros as high-end professional systems, with a pricing grid that starts at $2,499. That entry price applies to the 14-inch model equipped with an M5 Pro chip. The 16-inch model with an M5 Pro processor will start at $2,999.

For users opting for the higher-performance M5 Max, the 14-inch MacBook Pro will start at $4,099, while the 16-inch M5 Max variant will start at $4,399. With these specifications and prices, the new models place Apple in more direct competition with touchscreen Windows PCs that have been on the market since 2012, while bringing touch and OLED technology to the MacBook Pro line for the first time.

The introduction of touch and OLED on the MacBook Pro coincides with a reworked touch-based macOS interface that will sit alongside the traditional keyboard-and-trackpad interaction model. The goal is to enable touch gestures and on-screen controls without fundamentally transforming macOS into a tablet-style environment.

Touchscreens, OLED displays and reinforced hinges have long been present in Windows-based laptops. The launch therefore marks a strategic catch-up for the MacBook Pro line rather than an attempt to redefine laptop computing.